The Cat

One of the best novels by the author, and the next work after the later novel “Second,” from Colette’s cycle of late psychological prose. Here she tells a delightful story of how Camille began to feel jealous of her husband Alen toward the cat he loved so much. And the cat, in turn, feels jealous of her toward its owner. The novel depicts a duel between the two “rivals,” which ends extremely dramatically. This feud gives the author a chance to highlight Camille and Alen’s manners more vividly, and to convey the tension of their relationship. The book enjoyed a huge triumph, was reprinted many times, and was quickly translated into several languages.